This year, MarshLink Action Group’s Annual General Meeting will be held somewhat earlier in the year – at 7pm on Tuesday February 27 at Rye Town Hall: as usual, the guest presentation will start at 7:15pm to enable train passengers arriving at Rye at 6:54pm (hopefully) to get to the meeting.
This year’s scheduling of the AGM is to enable Southern to unveil its May 2018 timetable: the presentation will be by Govia’s Head of Strategic Planning (for our purposes, the head of timetabling).
Over the last year or so, many hours of discussion have taken place directly between Southern’s timetablers and representatives of MLAG and three other MarshLink rail action groups together with RailFuture. Southern has also held three extensive public consultation phases to which, I trust, MLAG members have contributed.
During these discussions, MLAG and the other rail action groups have raised their many issues with the current timetable (including MLAG’s stated Objectives for the service). We also raised objections to the first consultation paper issued by Southern in which it was proposed turning round the Ashford – Brighton service at Hastings. Southern’s argument was founded on overcrowding to the west of Hastings – overcrowding being predicated on having a 2-car unit operating the service (another subject of contention).
We wait to find out the end result of these representations.
Also, if time permits, there should be a presentation from RailFuture to update us on progress with the Javelin project, to give Rye, Hastings, Bexhill and Eastbourne direct services to London St.Pancras.
MLAG has put its question to Southern – now it’s your turn.
Photo: Rye News library
Rye Commuter Group are very disappointed that our concerns have been ignored and this new timetable has been proposed without detailed consultation with commuters.
We have made numerous representations to GTR and many commuters commented on your website and none of them have had any response.
Peak morning Rye to HS1 Connections to 16 and 46 HS1 services don’t work for following reason’s.
Committers will be arriving in London 10 min’s later and leaving London 13 min earlier.
0716 and 0746 are only 6 cars and are full when reach Ashford.
You are forcing commuters to get early Rye shuttle services which as you know are unreliable due to lack of diesel stock leased by Southern
On Tuesday 20st Feb evening shuttles was cancelled at last minute.
If any thing the evening peak services are even worst a as commuters who would catch 1733 which is now 1723 would have to catch at 1637 instead of 1650 from St Pancras otherwise once again end up on evening Rye shuttle and adds another 30 mins to their journey.
Finally as there is still not a proper HS1 connection policy at Ashford. It is quite normal for Rye train to be late in so currently we only have to wait 10 mins for next HS1 service with this new timetable we will have to wait 20 mins for next HS1 service.
Rye commuter group attended the SE Trains stakeholder meeting in London on Wednesday and raised our objections in strongest terms and SE Trains are going to take it up with Southern.
Rye commuter group is asking all commuters to attend the meeting at Rye town hall on Tuesday 27th Feb to raise your concerns. If you want further info contact marshlinktrains@gmail.com or on twitter/Facebook @marshlinktrains
To summarise Rye commuters DO NOT want any changes made to the morning and evening peak timetable as it works perfectly for us on daily basis.
We hope that Rye commuters are not suffering to provide a better service for Hastings to Eastbourne section (they are getting 4 trains an hour which are 4 car long) which seemed to profiting very much from the new timetable change.
I work in central London and mostly use classic services. New timetable removes one of the best services on the timetable. The 0747 from Appledore connects with the 0703 Charing Cross train, useful London by 0825.